Leopards provide public health benefits in Mumbai, India

Braczkowski and colleagues modelled the ecological and public-health role of leopards inhabiting Sanjay Gandhi National Park within Mumbai, where the cats prey heavily on free-ranging dogs in surrounding neighbourhoods. By estimating leopard dog consumption and linking reduced dog numbers to lower dog-bite incidence and potential rabies cases, they argued that urban leopards deliver measurable benefits, fewer dog attacks and bite-related costs, by suppressing dog populations. The study reframed a feared predator as providing an ecosystem service in one of the world's densest cities. It became a widely cited example of quantifying the upside of coexistence with urban big cats.